Wicked Savior
by Tsukino Kaze
Summary: AerisSeph. Aeris, resurrected temporarily, journeys to complete what she believes to be her destiny. A misinterpreted message, forgotten words, and the mysterious silverhaired man will change the flower girl, and her views of fate, forever.
1. Flaming Experience

A/N: Nothing much to say here. Umm... well, this is my first FF7 fic. Hope it goes alright. And while I'm here, better claim that I don't own the characters either. So now you know!!!

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Chapter 1: Flaming Experience

Tendrils of long, auburn hair picked up into the chill breeze and whipped rashly into the girl's face. She drove slender fingers over her scalp then brought them quickly to her cracked lips and let the warmth of her breath attempt to ward off the bluish tint. The other arm wrapped a thick fur blanket over her small, trembling form, all the while dragging it up closer to the base of her chin. Wisps of the dark-reddish fur bristled against her nose, but she failed to notice through the biting cold. She took heavy, stomping steps through three feet of fresh snow, her slightly too large of boots proving difficult to walk in. She watched their meek struggle with a bowed head and narrowed eyes. The eyelashes were heavy and frozen, tiny droplets of water crested around each one.

Silently, she counted every step she took and somehow hoped the distraction would bring her to warmth faster. A gust of wind pushed from behind, upturning her hair and plastering long bangs to her face once again. She clutched the blanket tighter and brought it past her chin to right under her eyes. The numbing pain of her exposed legs at which the blanket no longer reached failed to comply to her mind's wishes for another step and caused her to stumble slightly. Her arms were thrown out in reach of support but instead swung around to regain balance. Much to her disdain, the left boot had cloven its own path under the surface and now not only held her frozen foot, but a large clump of flaky snow.

"For the love of..." Aeris sighed in exasperation, wiping her rosy cheeks with her free hand. This was too much. Progress was already hellacious enough, plus now wearing the burden, was beginning to prick her patience.

She made a feeble attempt to wiggle her toes loose from the brown boot, but there was no response from the knee down. "Come on," she prompted, though she knew it was to no avail. Instead she brought her eyes up to scan the horizon. The fog was thick as filled her nostrils as she made to sigh. The pristine glory of pearl-white powder was indeed better to view from the warmth of one's own hearth than actually experience it.

It was then that it dawned on Aeris that she had traveled too far with down-cast eyes to know where she was anymore. She briefly considered taking off her small pack to pull out a map, but the effort seemed to no appeal and it was impossible to differentiate this piece of land from the next. Her tongue, the only thing vibrant enough to move, clicked against the roof of her mouth as she pondered her next move. She guessed it must've been high noon when she first left her previous camp and she had be traveling five hours at the least. So if the sun wasn't as bright and the air getting cooler, it must've been around...

Aeris paused her calculations when she felt her left foot began to burn in a fiery-needle-poking' kind of a way, as she had put it for the past week or so. She decided it was time to find shelter.

Easier _desired _than done.

The Northern Continent, during the pressing season of winter, was not easy to navigate nor traverse. Aeris traced her mind back to the last time she had sighted a cave. Her brows furrowed in frustration, suddenly wishing she had kept her eyes up more often. This morning she had left one cave and that was the first and so far the last she had seen all day today. It would take her twice as long to get back as it had to get here, thanks to the surprise storm, and Aeris was too stubborn to give up a day's journey anyway. Her bottom lip protruded by habit, but split at the sudden strain. "Ouch," she whimpered and began to suck at the small drops of blood that formed.

For the past few days Aeris had adapted the habit of talking to herself, seeing as how she was her only company. The Planet had grown silent ever since she had reached this continent. Aeris knew that it wasn't completely hushed or gone, but its presence waned and sometimes swayed back and forth with uncertainty. It wasn't like the Planet to make a mistake or be unsure of itself, and something inside Aeris said that it was far from being irresolute, but more so anxious.

Prior to reaching the Northern Continent, the Planet had firmly instructed Aeris in her actions, sending shrill vibrations and voices to heed her caution or press her forward. It had sung brilliantly and filled Aeris with pure certitude. Now it merely whispered soft chants barely audible to the girl's inner ear, mourning some unforeseen loss. It had lately been acting as a harbinger, wooing deceit and grieving for Aeris's misfortune for no particular reason. This had not gone unnoticed by the host herself, but her attitude was becoming slightly dour towards the Planet. It ignored Aeris's every question and thought, sending a light _shhhhh..'_ every time she addressed it directly.

At first these conditions had worried Aeris to no ends. She had expected the exact opposite, seeing how resonant the Planet was that last time she was near The Forgotten City. It was a clear memory the way it had sung with heavy pulsation and nearly begged to be called upon. It was a child returning home, calling to the comfort of familiar walls and sensations. When the Planet had immediately hushed and fled to the corners of Aeris's mind, the girl took it as a sign to leave and escape as well. But the Planet had been quick to stop her, screaming in deep, foreboding tones to turn around and proceed her journey. The words were often repeated, even now, when Aeris doubted her continuation: _Expurgate. Expurgate the Cetra.'_

Upon first hearing the Planet's comment about a Cetra besides herself, Aeris became hopeful, tears welling in her eyes with vivid thoughts of her mother and the Ancients she had often spoke of. But the Planet had meant otherwise, never correcting Aeris as it allowed her to find the answer independently. And find it she did. Accompanied by a painful wailing, Aeris had woken with a start in her room at the Icicle Inn five days ago. At that moment, during another session of the Planet's chanting, her mind reeled with the possibility of the _other _Cetras that the Planet had mistakenly meant.

It was no mistake, Aeris had eventually admitted after coming to terms with herself over the sleepless night. Expurgate the Cetra' focused itself on either of two beings, both of which Aeris still cringed upon thinking about.

The second night spent at Icicle Inn, Aeris had asked the Planet about the possibilities. Her only answer was that same drowning _Shhhhh...'_ which resulted in vulgar thoughts from Aeris. Find the answer from the Planet proved impossible, no matter how many time she had inquired the subject. Instead, she decided it was best to confront the problem face-to-face and just let the stubborn Planet have its way.

So this is where she traveled now, in search of The Forgotten City, which would hopefully lead to some answers. The last time she was there her experiences were not kindly remembered. It caused her to frown even when it was such a comfort zone. The last few months or so had taught her otherwise about putting trust into individuals and open spaces. Even though her short trek with Cloud and the others had shown her plenty of hospitality, it never gave her the full lesson of real life in the outside world. Sometimes it would agitate Aeris to think she was treated like such a fragile child. Just because she was the last of her kind didn't mean she should be forced to live in a box. But at the moment, in a current state of frozen limbs, a nice, dry box sounded reasonable.

A small smile began to shape Aeris's lips at the thought of someplace warm, but it stopped short when the familiar tightness of dried skin startled her. Sighing, she came out of her short reminiscence and looked back at her demanding situation. All the while she had been thinking, her body had been screaming for heat and release from the wetness that soaked her through. Even the Planet seemed to be scolding the daydreaming session.

Aeris once more scanned her surroundings for any sign of, well... anything! To her great fortune, the fog had disintegrated some bit and she was able to spot a cluster of trees in the near distance where a short cliff protruded from the thick snowy base. With any more luck there would be a pile of rocks of some sort or at least a dry place to squeeze her numb body between. She hurried along with a sludgy left foot.

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Upon reaching the edge of the forest, Aeris bent over to catch her breath, watching as the air filed out of her lips and floated away like weightless puffs of cloud. Her knees cracked noisily when she straightened up and stood at full height. She took one hand to carefully slide the ice from her lashes while rearranging her blanket with the other.

The cliff bordered off into a small hill hidden from the girl's view by the coarse trees at the farther distance from which she initially spotted the landing. Under the trees there was a drastic lack of snow, maybe one or two feet at the most. Her boots trudged along until her fragile hand came to rest on the rough bark of a pine. She used the tree to support her weight while she set down her blanket and pulled off the left boot. The shoe was tipped upside down as she shook it harshly from side to side, watching clump after clump of watery snow come splurging out.

As soon as the snow seized and only drops at a time fell from the boot's leather fringes, Aeris set it down close by and examined her now soaked sock. The sodden thing already hung halfway off her food, exposing a deathly pale heel. She delicately pinched the tip of the cloth and dragged it off the rest of her foot to lay it atop the boot. Next, she inspected each blue toe, forcing their movement with the help of her hand. When they began to quiver independently, she chirped gleefully. The silly grin was soon wiped off her face as the familiar pricking burn soon followed. "Ooh!" she squealed and began to rub the foot vigorously while still attempting to grip the tree.

When the pain subdued, Aeris fitted the bare foot back into the boot and wrung out the sock. The water hit the snow with a small splatter that rather turned to the shatter of ice. What temperature out here was it anyway? She swung the blanket back over her shoulders and the frozen sock was put near her underarm where it was becoming warm again. The cloak was wrapped around even more firmly before she set out again deeper into the forest.

Aeris had been following the brim of the hill to where it once again became sharp and jagged with protruding rocks to form another cliff. She heightened her speed slightly when the rocks became denser and more so piled on top of one another. The Planet even urged a lighter foot, pushing against her being with hopeful excitement. The girl ran clumsily until she hit a small clearing that lacked the density of saplings. Only a few mature pines towered over the area, holding mountains of snow in their broad branches. The actual ground was nearly visible, the few inches of snow mixed to the muddy brown of dirt.

The frozen girl gleefully jumped out of the thick snow in which she had been struggling. Under the gracious awning, Aeris released her death grip from the blanket and swiped her bangs from her eyes. The clearing was small, but supplied enough room to make camp if necessary. Before jumping to conclusions though, Aeris inspected the boulders around the area, testing crevices to fit her frame.

Luckily, she sighted two slabs of greyish-brown rock wedged firmly into the ground along the side of the cliff wall, creating a miniature shrine of dry land. It slanted along the forest floor above upturned roots of a tree that appeared to have fallen centuries ago. The snow stopped about three feet from the entrance of the tiny cave, for the nooks in the ground were likely to be let into small animal holes, never giving the snow enough support to pack itself in. Aeris deemed this little sanctuary to be the most secure landing to rest for the night lest there be another storm.

Stepping under the ledge of the two boulders, Aeris moved aside the loose dirt and set her doe-skin pack off to the side, but still within reach. She then shed the heavy pelt and folded it halfway into a corner. The cool air hit her shoulders harshly, sending unmerciful shivers to control her already chilled body. She sat back onto the blanket, noting the cave's five-foot diameter to curl herself into.

A cold draft under Aeris's arm caused her to suddenly release the drenched sock she had been holding there. That's right,' she reminded herself with slightly angled lips.

She set the sock close next to the entrance of the half-dome and turned her attention to her feet. Aeris's usually nimble fingers had a difficult time unstrapping the clasps of the boots, so she resolved to just pull the things off unmindfully. The left foot wiggled happily to be free of dank clamor, but the right screamed at the release of its previous storage of warmth. The sock was immediately yanked off and the girl went to work on restoring its flesh color.

As soon as the first trigger of a stinging sensation reached the foot distantly, the Ancient scrambled to divert her attention before the full-fledged pain hit. She arranged both boots neatly in another corner, taking time to be more organized than was common of herself. After they were as aligned as humanly possible, the girl set her pack in her lap and dove her hand inside, grappling for the soft exterior of the crust on the bread-loaf she had brought. Instead she retrieved a frozen block of the stuff, grimacing at what was her dinner-to-be.

When the intense throb of pain began to diminish, Aeris practiced moving the toes of her right foot, glad to see at least one was working properly. Her mind no longer needing a physical distraction, she removed her short, red jacket and was left clad only in her skimpy pale pink dress. Her back and bottom pushed up against the back wall as far as possible and she once again pushed the loose dirt outward and accessories away from the center. Then, calm as she could, balancing her mind in perfect unison with her body's posture, she called to the Planet.

Aeris had be lacking practice with her magic, especially among the elements. During the only time they were actually needed, her strong points were of healing stature, not physical conjurations or alchemy. Indeed it _was_ in her knowledge, especially embraced by her ancestors, but the techniques were raw and unfamiliar. Otherwise she would have long ago cast fire of some sort while freezing in the storm.

Her main fear was control. Healing spells required subconscious reins, the receiver only accepting the necessary amount by instincts. Likewise, elements were fabricated upon the initial desire, but the amount of power was dependent upon the summoner and could easily skip right out of submissive territory. Overwhelming zeal was a dangerous factor when considering physical magics and must be entirely handled when the caster decides how much force is going to be needed. Wild conjurations were unpredictable and seemed to possess their own shrewd humor.

This was far over Aeris's head. Already she was debating whether the idea was being analytical or simply insane. One shoulder angel spoke of loosing control, releasing flames to everything within her power's range, destroying her food, clothes, and most dreadfully, herself. The other angel argued that it would be _much _nicer to burn to death than to freeze overnight. Back to the first angel, it explained being awake during one death, peacefully asleep in the other. The second angel: it was cold right _now_, and fire sounded damn good right _now_.

Aeris had to agree with both, but seeing as how she couldn't depict which angel was good and which was bad, that second one was just too tempting. And no thanks to the Planet for helping her choose. Her own insanity was leading her to follow imaginary' sprites on her shoulders. See,' she insisted toward herself, this cold weather is getting to you. Another reason to at least try the stupid spell.'

The Cetra straightened herself on the edge of the pelt, relaxing her neck and shoulders back, lifting her chest to take in a languorous breath. Her legs were crossed tightly, bringing them away from the center of the cave as well and away from feasible danger. She raised and placed her hands before her softly; slowly, as she was accustomed to performing when casting healing spells, and put the left hand lightly behind the right for support. Her breathing became deeper as she focused all attention inward, invoking the Planet with the ancestral song that continuously flowed throughout her soul since birth. There was no answer. Everything inside Aeris was quieter than death. The Planet refused to stir, let alone reply to the Cetra's call.

Aeris frowned, choking down the sudden panic that the Planet had actual left her, angry with the summoning. It would have really worried her, had the Planet not done this before. Tired of the stubborn resistance, Aeris concentrated on her breathing, listening to the expand of her lungs; the sound of brisk air. She felt the microscopic ice particles melt upon her lips, tongue, and throat. She saw the darkness behind closed eyes, yet observed the Lifestream within herself. She tasted the dirt, could smell fertile soil, and finally sense the Planet's presence.

A chant rose tediously from the depths of Aeris, filling her being with a satiating comfort; a reassuring embrace. Fibers of air, earth, water, and fire, all that was, surrounded her. Still, Aeris paid them no heed, but rather let the song caress the Planet until in swooned submissively. She called to it directly, stating her indications instead of asking. The Planet shied, becoming silent again, but Aeris held it firmly, pressing her hands subconsciously closer together.

Finally there was a release. The Planet let loose its bonds and nearly toppled the young Cetra's mind with battering force. Jerking slightly, Aeris rearranged her seat and began to sing in harmony with the Planet, letting it fill her. She brought her hands apart until only the thumbs and forefingers were touching and formed a spade-like triangle facing the ground.

"Heat," she whispered shakily, "fire." Within her core, Aeris felt the swelling of matter, starting at the base of her spin and rising to meet the junction of her skull and shoulders. The tingling fibers swam down her arms and warmly slithered around and through her fingers.

Aeris almost slipped in the excitement of the new sensation, forgetting to keep the flow under control. Her eyes snapped open when she felt the imposing surge of burning heat rise from the center-point in her body and race through to the ends of her arms. There was a sudden, brilliant burst of light as fire secreted beneath her palms. It lasted only a moment before it was completely gone, long enough for Aeris to feel the flames lick between the pads of her fingers. She snatched them back, surprised out of her trance and concentration. Her face cringed as she expected to suddenly feel searing pain at any moment, but none came. Uncertain, the girl turned her palms upward, shocked to note their unblemished appearance. She squinted her jade eyes, pondering whether she should chance the risk again.

That appealing angel had returned.

Finding the resolve needed, Aeris closed her eyes and searched for the Planet. Relief flooded her when she found it waiting, perhaps a bit anxious, but unlikely to flee. The girl only needed to place her hands before her again, touching fingertips, and the Planet sang on its own. Inside the her mind, Aeris attempted to join the chorus, adding her own archaic fluctuations, but the Planet blocked her efforts, easily drowning her out in the sound of a thousand remote voices.

The calming warmth flustered at Aeris's spine, rising in pulsating throbs to the beat of the song; the beat of life. The girl sat in placid stillness, letting the Planet show and teach her the flow of matter and elements. It embraced her as would an attentive mother, kneeling behind the shoulders, moving the pupil's hands for them, weaving intricate designs through the air. Enigmatic symbols began to form and Aeris became aware of the flow leading again down her arms and through her fingers to where it rested in her palms.

_Open you eyes, child,' _prompted the Planet. _Watch.'_

Aeris did as instructed, letting heavy eyelids slide upward lazily. The Planet became louder, all the voices chattering at once, whispering secrets and talking to the flames. They pounded in Aeris's head, rhythmically pressing her inner being, hypnotizing her as the clamor grew. In the trance of summoning and chants, Aeris's eyes followed the movements of her hands: fingers splayed and still circling a small space of air as wisps of fiery aura were left in the patterned wakes. Resting in her palms all the while burned a life in bright oranges and yellows. It sat patiently, waiting for the release. Fire...' spoke Aeris in awe to the Planet which still guided her.

_Fire,'_ it repeated and finally let go. Aeris's core let off a singed end, completing the flow that threaded through her whole self. It came up her spine, down her arms, through her hands, and forcefully clasped her palms together.

The warm sensation was gone, leaving only loose threads here and there that flickered to life then quickly died out. The darkness of the night sky filled the cave and a pressing hush fell over the land, though there had been no actual sounds outside of the Cetra girl's ears. Her ecstatic expression dropped drastically, for there was not a trace of the flames anywhere. Had their reality only been an illusion as trickery for her firm hand with the Planet?

Aeris again felt for the vibrant awareness, searching her whole body. Her mesmerized form remained plastered in the position she had last been in while acting out the summoning. The palms felt cool against one another and her frail body began to shiver when the cold from outside creeped in. Aeris's eyes burned and she suddenly felt as though she would cry. But a soft, almost inaudible voice stopped her.

_Iummmmmm...' _it cooed reassuringly. _Open your hands.'_

Slowly, almost reluctantly, Aeris pulled her hands apart at the top. She sucked in air swiftly, gasping at the sight before her eyes. In the direct center of her palms lay the orb of flames, vivid once again and producing an aura that contained more heat than simple embers ever could. It was weightless, hovering mere inches from her flesh. The close proximity did not burn the hands of its dominator.

_Set it down where you wish, it is yours to do with as you please. Treat is as you would a living being, for it is me. It is you.'_

Aeris tenderly pulled her hands completely apart, letting the orb drop from her grasp. It didn't reach the dirt, but instead hovered as it did in the girl's hands. Do I just leave it like that?,' she asked the Planet.

_It listens with ears unturned.'_

The Ancient thought over the words carefully, unsure of how to interpret the proverb. She certainly didn't remember Cloud or the others instructing' their magics. It simply did what it did. And most definitely happened at a much quicker rate than what she was going at. Feeling a bit foolish, Aeris gazed skeptically at the flames and commanded, "Stay there."

Nothing.

Pursing her lips thoughtfully, Aeris tried again. Same result. What am I doing wrong?' she asked meekly. After a long, silent pause, Aeris tried to be firm with the Planet again. What must I do?'

_Desire it...'_

Wondering if she hadn't been desiring' it this whole time, Aeris focused on the patient embers once more. Okay, that wasn't working either. Desiring isn't happening,' she chimed sarcastically.

_Envision it...'_

Giving an irritated sigh, the frustrated girl looked harshly at the fire. She _desired_ the flames to stay. Closing her eyes, she _saw _the flames stay. When she reopened them she gave a smug grin and silently thanked the Planet. The tiny fire sat connected to the ground, feeding hungrily off of thin air.

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In all the excitement of her first conjuration, Aeris hadn't noticed the wind pick up into harsh gusts. She prayed there would be no storm, but honestly doubted such a blessing. Besides, she was far too content with her own accomplishments to complain. The fire, the first element magic she had actually made, was petty-looking, but it releasing incredible warmth.

Aeris pulled the pelt from beneath herself and curled into as tight of a ball as she could, throwing the blanket fur-side down over her body. She watched the tiny flames for a bit, wondering how long it had taken all of her friends to master this kind of skill. And so advanced. They all did it so quickly and casually while it nearly gave her a migraine and took about twenty minutes. Still, she was proud. This was step one in completing her task at hand. Step one of twenty million it seemed.

Aeris sighed sleepily and was inevitably brought to wondering how Cloud and the others were doing. The last she had heard it wasn't good news. And that was quite a while ago, not to mention. Nobody had sighted them from the many she had asked on her journey. It was the Planet's instructions that led her to where she was now, in search of The Forgotten City. What was there? _Who _was there? And what did the Planet mean by expurgate the Cetra'?

Oh well, thought Aeris unmindfully as she fell into much needed slumber.

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A/N: Ookay, this chapter is probably confusing. If not to you, then it is me. I think I've got the main jest of the storyline down, though. The only trick now is putting it into organized chapters. Curse my sloppy ways!!!! Ahem, well, please leave reviews and comments!


	2. The Dream

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters of Final Fantasy VII, nor of anything else.

A/N: Hola! Como estas? Wow, I'm a great Spanish speaker, don't ya think? Just messin'. Anyway, welcome to chapter two of my infamous-3-reviews-story: Wicked Savior. Great to have you, hope you enjoy! I've really been working out the plot on this one, but I've had to mess up a few things on the original game plot, but hardly anything noticeable, so don't go off in a fury just yet. My apologies for the lack of dialogue in this chapter, but I had to get it out of the way, and in one big, huge wad of boring seemed the best way to do it than boring spilled all over the place. Heh heh, okay, now to the real stuff: I'd like to thank me, myself, and my three wonderful reviewers! Keep up the great work, I says- I says. Aight, now to the real, real stuff…

Chapter 2: The Dream

Heat filled her senses until all she was aware of was the intense throbbing and dank air. She struggled to inhale, but fresh air mingled freely with moisture, causing her to gape like a fish to simply catch her breath. The air held a pungent mildew reek and stung her eyes to the point watering. Her emerald irises darted wildly, but a thick, touchable haze hung just before her vision. Her hands reached out feebly to push the green clouds away, but they shrouded around her swipes and engulfed her arms. She gasped sharply in frustration, but was rewarded by a fit of coughing.

The coughs lasted a good five minutes, wracking her lungs until they felt as though they would burst. Her chest heaved and liquid caught in her throat. Doubling over slightly, she clenched the base of her neck and abdomen. Her breathing paused, allowing fear to cloud her senses before a large wad of blood swelled and burst from the back of her throat. She spit it to the ground, letting the rest foam at the corners of her mouth. Her body clenched, spasmed, then expanded as she took in a deep breath of the foggy air.

Oxygen came in with gagging breaths and it took six good tries before Aeris finally felt stable enough to stand straight. As she did so, her ribs and stomach screamed in blistering pain. Hissing, the girl removed her hand that was still grasping that section. Her palm revealed a handful of dark, sticky blood that continued to seep down onto her clothes at a quickening pace. Panic erupted from her and she let loose a scream that echoed on invisible barriers.

The wound was deep, far too deep to survive and it was then that Aeris noted the same warm flow running down her back. Tears began to match the steady stream of blood, creeping over her pale cheeks as she stumbled about dumbly. But the heat of the clouds surrounded her; held her in suffocating embrace. She struggled, but the Planet called her to a stop. The voices came from outside her form, speaking from the haze and far spaces in between. They called her true name in a language Aeris did not understand, yet found oddly familiar. The language of the Cetra.

Hands penetrated the clouds, thousands of them. They all touched, soothed, and gripped Aeris until she was no longer mobile. Each shifted in a dancing light, flickering in and out of existence. They all seemed to be caressing the girl's flushed skin, yet only the heavy air against her sweaty body was detectable. Soon that was beyond notice as well. Nothing seemed to be touching her as Aeris's whole body became numb.

It was a numbness rarely felt, but instinctually recognized. The humidity became cool, then cold on the girl's dying breaths. Two hands covered her eyes, two of the only things she could now feel. They were hard and calloused, but held the aura of the Planet's power as they gently slid Aeris's eyelids closed. Everything became still and the silence was heavy, if not frightening.

Darkness engulfed her, but she could still hear. She heard everything. She heard music of a thousand cultures, voices of a thousand people, sounds of a thousand functions, and then nothing at all. Had her muscles been able to move, Aeris would have coiled into a ball of fear, but instead she lay lifeless, floating into the stomach of a desolate eternity. The girl had felt this only once before, when she lost her true mother, Ifalna. The pain was so familiar. It was inevitably followed by a daze of shock as reality slips away into oblivion. When Aeris's foster mother, Elmyra, first took the young child into her arms, it was only too clear the trauma she would have to live with. Eventually, Aeris had lost the rigid stillness and silence in her demeanor, and, much to Elmyra's surprise became an altogether optimistic person.

In later years, Aeris had explained before how her mother had never left her in the first place, and how many people, including her mother, would always talk to her. This only gave her the attention and ridicule of the neighborhood children, so the voices stayed inside and Aeris learned to never speak of them to any but her foster mother.

A normal child, possessing abnormal voices in their head, would generally need some sort of medication or special observation, especially with how influential and invoking the 'people' in Aeris's head seemed to be. They spoke to her every day, every moment. They told stories, told her what to do in situations, told her the ancient lore of the Planet. But this is to be expected of the last Cetra child. All voices, all hope of the Ancients' descent lay within one meek, kind-hearted girl. Some may refer to it as a curse, but Aeris refers to it as a blessing, to have all those of the Planet talking to you at once, guiding life as if swinging at a piñata without the blindfold. This didn't necessarily make life much better, it simply made getting to the hard part easier. Now the candy has dropped, but you're all alone in the struggle to get the biggest handful.

Naturally, Elmyra knew of Aeris's descent and thought nothing but the best for her gifted child. It never occurred odd to her that the girl who was so in love with the ground beneath her feet was the only one in all of the Slums to grow such vibrant, healthy flowers. The phenomenon was only natural of the Ancients and Elmyra gathered it as a sign of hope and better days to come for the Planet.

Aeris had felt the same, perceiving her destiny as saving the dying world and restoring peace to her distressed ancestors. When Cloud and his group of rebels from AVALANCHE came along, unknowingly offering her the opportunity to stop the destructive Shinra, she dove in head-long, never pausing to analyze the consequences leading to her own demise. All that seemed to matter was the Planet, the Ancients, and stopping the annihilation of the beloved lifestream. But generally if the term 'look before you leap' is disregarded, it ends up with the leaper in some sort of an unfavorable predicament. Aeris had plunged herself into several situations that rested far above her head. Thankfully, Cloud had seemed to have taken an infatuated liking to the flower girl, and found in necessary to protect and shield her at all costs. The journey had hardly taken itself anywhere but to a relentless search for the notorious maniac, Sephiroth, before Aeris found herself in a situation Cloud could not protect her from.

Yet Aeris's optimistic attitude prevailed once more, as she trekked alone through the Sleeping Forest and into the maw of the City of the Ancients, where her life, almost predictably, was stolen away by the very soul that AVALANCHE was searching for. The kill was swift, but the actually dying lasted an eternity. During her life, Aeris could not fulfill the fate she promised to herself and the Cetra before her, so she vowed again to come back; to see the end of the world crisis. The Planet was not so forgiving, nor willing to give up quite so easily. The waters Cloud let her lifeless form drift to the bottom of were pure and prayed upon from centuries back before the dawn of time itself. Elements of the raw lifestream sewed together through the wound and into Aeris's blood, supporting her corpse and chaining her soul to it. She awoke anew, neither dead nor alive, but rather a walking, talking memory made of lifestream matter. Her functions were not handicap, yet she was not gifted with any abilities she had not known in her life. It was a temporary, soul-wracking job, but Aeris resolved herself to do it: dead or alive… or somewhere in between.

The Planet still followed the girl's trail as it always had, assuring her in the actions she took and what she must do. Dreams were not an uncommon form for the Planet to reach her, but since her death it had become obvious that the visions were ominous. She was constantly reminded of her death, almost every night brought back to the moment of her revival, to another moment beyond time's grasp. They stole her body and mind of much-needed energy, leaving her drained when she awoke gasping and crying.

**BB **

Beyond the void, beyond the eternal silence, penetrated just a single sound: one voice that called to Aeris from what sounded like across the universe. She would never know how accurate that was.

It was the voice all too familiar to the girl, the voice of her mother, Ifalna. Long-lost tears welled in Aeris's eyes, falling over the rim of her eyelids and down to her chin. She was mildly surprised that she could feel again and be aware of herself. It hardly seemed to matter now that her mother was here, somewhere beside her whispering into her ear with a warm, soft air. There were faint traces of Ifalna's honeydew breath in the air and Aeris inhaled it as deeply as she could. The tears stopped to listen to her mother's faint words:

'_Expurgate. Expurgate the Cetra. Expurgate. Expurgate the Cetra…'_

The voice continued softly, drowning itself out every time the message was repeated. Aeris would scream back, refusing to listen or acknowledge what her mother told her. Instead she thrashed about wildly, hitting her limbs against walls that had seemingly formed around her. The barriers closed in as she struggled, until the girl could hardly move and was silent. Outside the dark room she was trapped within, her mother's voice was barely audible. The message was repeated over and over, until it spoke onto itself so many times that the words were no longer coherent.

Aeris began to cry again, her mother's reassuring voice now twisted into millions of the same words piled on top of one another. The sound was demented and disgusted Aeris to where she clapped her palms to her ears to break the morbid noise. Her body slumped despondently to what was once the floor. Instead she fell into nothingness, wrapped once again within the heat of the haze. Everything on her body refused to move, but she fell without struggle or panic, for the voice fell away upward and everything that had just passed slipped Aeris's mind.

It was a slow, lazy fall and as she descended, her torso and limbs stretched out and pushed forward, glad for the cooling wind that ran past her heated flesh. Her hair, tied up into a high, loose braid, unknotted itself from its bonds and released into the air above her. She wriggled slightly in her clothes, vexed by their slight, yet noticeable containment from the fresh air. Her eyes fluttered shut as each tied bow, each hurried knot, came loose and fell away from her. The pink dress, now unbound, came up over her head and torso, but never escaped her grasp as it fluttered above her in the continuous fall. She swam downward through the air, her body clad in nothing but her own soft flesh.

The air seemed to lift and the haze drifted away as Aeris felt herself submitting to the situation. Her whole being released tension and vibrations caressed her freely without the burden of clothes. The dress continued to wave above her, casting odd, translucent shadows that shielded a new light coming from a high angle. The light filtered through the warm color of the material, casting brilliant hues of crimson, fuchsia, and copper onto the atmosphere. They penetrated the clouding green and pulled in a clear view of the bottomless domed hall Aeris was falling within.

She felt as though the fall would never end, and she hoped it would be so. Fresh air, like the hands of a million lovers, drove her into a rhythmic ecstasy that matched the pulsating voices that began to chime from below. They came in low, husky whispers and told her secrets only the trees and rocks knew. They told her of all history, of all that had ever occurred. They told her to look up, to look into the winking eyes buried in the night sky. Only they saw what was to come, they could see the all sides of the world, all sides of the Planet.

The endless hallway shifted and Aeris's dress of which she clasped so dearly to, ebbed away from her clenched fingers like water. She looked up as the dress stayed twisting and winding in one spot as the Cetra fell forever on. She let out a quiet cry of distress and frustration, attempting to push herself up and to grasp the cloth. It inched away, swallowed by a dark, gaping mouth that ate the hallway into pitch black. The dress was no longer visible, but Aeris continued to watch the spot she had last seen the pink.

Just barely, in the farthest distance in time and space, she detected the cloth. It came forth, twisting in a new shade of deep blue. There were holes in it, thousands and thousands of holes. From each tear, each crossing of thread, came an extraordinary light. The material stretched and bent in all directions, engulfing the hall and passing Aeris to the pit below her and beyond her vision. Colors spilt and stained the dress, becoming living matter as the cloth rippled.

The lights of blues and yellows and oranges and greens covered Aeris. They fluttered over her naked form, casting prisms like the tropical waters of white-sand seas. And then it stilled, the millions tears and rips placed with perfect precision. Nebulas surrounded the Cetra. Galaxies swirled in and out, suns touched between her splayed fingers, planets orbited like tops on an endless spin.

The Cetra looked around her. The falling had seemed to stop, but it was hard to tell whether she was floating or the whole universe was just following her. Everything in her being and soul resonated with the harmony of the untouched purity that kept every motion moving, every life living, every death dying. Delicate fingertips reached just below her bosom to pluck a sun from its solar system. The planets that had been surrounding it unmindfully kept their trek of eternity, never minding that their whole balance of gravity had just been stolen away from them.

Aeris took the sun, no larger than the size of a marble, and lifted it before her eyes. Its light was incredible and it was hard for the girl to keep her focus on the burning orb.

'_Gaze into the eye. Hold it until you can see fate's path written before you.' _

And hold it she did. Aeris stared into the tiny star, determined to depict what it was trying to show her. She held it until her own eyes reflected the sun in their cores, the white light captured within her irises. Her eyes glowed momentarily, then dulled to a filmy cloud. She looked harder, but could see nothing. There was so much nothing: no dark, no light, no objects, no disruptions. But suddenly there was…

The floor.

The floor barely touched Aeris's toes before she was shocked into the world of consciousness. She flew from her fur pallet, sweat just beginning to break on her forehead. She had never touched the floor before.

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Thanks for reading and bearing with me! (Is that the right 'bear?') Anywho, I'd be eternally grateful for your review- go ahead, bash this story to bits, but please, leave your comments!


	3. Voice of a New Perspective

Disclaimer: I dun own anything that belongs to Square… ie; characters, settings, etc…

A/N: Oh my friggin' god! I took me FOREVER to actually write this. And what's really sad is that I'm not too pleased with it. I'm rushing right now to post it… I never want to see it again! ARGH!

I started this weeks upon weeks ago… but didn't get around to an actual point until lately. I was gonna have a few more chapters before this one came, but too late now! AHAHAHA!

Thank you reviewers! Haha. Yeah… HAPPY READING!

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Wicked Savior

Chapter 3: Voice of a New Perspective

Days had passed uneventfully and Aeris felt sanity slipping though her fingers. The Planet had gone quiet as usual, but occasionally gave out a long, laborious whine that echoed continuously through the chambers of the Cetra's head. It filled the silence of the cold, crisp air and Aeris swore if anything else were around, it would hear it too.

The scenery had changed little since Aeris had experienced her last nightmare. The snow was thick and solid, most of it hardened to a slick, icy trap. There had been little snowfall, but the evening winds were relentless and drove the lighter layers of snow horizontally over the barren landscape. East had never seemed farther to reach, as it stretched on forever with little more than a protruding mound of snow or dying trees here and there.

It was evident that the Planet was suffering some serious side effects of its near-death experience. Naturally the snow wouldn't have fallen so heavily this far south on the continent, despite it being within the midst of winter. But the climate wasn't the only unstable elements. The Planet was deeply shaken and it spared no mercy when letting Aeris hear all about it. It constantly complained about its unbalance and sudden vulnerability. Sometimes is would resolve itself, other times it would expect Aeris, even within her current situation, to fix the problem for it. The Cetra girl assumed this was indeed the duty of herself as being an Ancient and protector of the Planet, but for all sakes, there was only one of her!

This stirred Aeris's curiosity more so now than ever, thankfully distracting her from the turmoil she had endured and traversed through. Was she the last Cetra? The thought still seemed so improbable. Surely a race couldn't be wiped out with no forewarning or even a struggle of the Planet itself. At least there was no argument that she had heard of. If only her mother, her true mother, had been here. Even now the thought of those neglected, silent moments her mother and her shared when she was an infant twisted her stomach in regret. So many questions spun in her head with so many imaginable answers. Even contact with the Planet was of no use, its replies being too vague upon such a subject.

The Planet had seemed especially concerned over Lifestream matters. The flow had been manipulated so drastically that the original course had yet to have been stabilized for the Lifestream's return to under the planet. New paths and outlets had made their way in between various crevices of the earth and rock far below the surface. The main body of flow had altered and swung to the east, setting a new face and direction for the Lifestream to follow. Nobody of pure human lineage could see or even detect the difference, but Aeris felt it as if her whole course of blood had reversed itself.

The wind blew violently out of nowhere, and like an erupting sneeze, it stopped almost as soon as it had started. Aeris shielded her eyes and numb face, almost wishing she could feel the pain. It had been so long since she had felt any body part in full function or cooperation with her desires.

The Planet sang from outside Aeris's mind, caught in the sudden gust. It flew from the Cetra and a sudden panic stole the air from her lungs as the voices hummed away in the tangle of flourishing snow and wind. Her head only had to be absent of the Planet's moans for a fraction of a moment before Aeris was off in a flash, tearing after the thieving wind. It stole the voices, her guidance, and she'd be as good as dead if she was going to loose her purpose for being here just because she was a bit cold and lazy.

The girl ran faster than she had ever known she could. The adrenaline throbbed in her veins, pumping her legs to extents they had never before possessed. Her feet skipped over the snow like a gauntlet of missiles, directing her to a target that she could only instinctually guess its whereabouts. The shredded brown boots she wore came flying off her heated heels without her notice or care, gliding into the swirled wind of her wake. She heard the whistling protests of the once-still atmosphere around her as she broke its calm slumber. It filtered throughout her head only for a moment before it as well became too slow to keep up with her frightening speed.

Her dress fluttered and whipped as Aeris dove, trampled, and jumped after the escaping wind. She no longer heard the Planet's delighted hum, but its presence still lingered on the edge of her consciousness. Her feet continued their onslaught upon the ground below them in a desperate struggle to at least keep the sensation of the Planet with the Cetra. She closed her eyes in agony as her lungs filled and released at too steep a pace and her heart pushed through the spaces between her ribs.

She let out one last bitter cry when she was knocked full-force from another gust behind her. Her body stiffened in fright, then total relief as she heard the Planet strangled within this wind as well. But it left just as the first one had, taking the Planet's joy-filled singing along with it. However, Aeris stayed put, for she felt her eyes deceiving her. The snow still lay gaping behind her, but a mountain of twisted monuments soared overhead and before her: Shell Village, the forgotten city.

Aeris was immediately hit by a wave of terror. She had hoped to never see this dreaded place in her life, or even afterlife, ever again. Though she couldn't feel it, she knew her knees had buckled and given out because she was suddenly aware of her legs and dress becoming drenched in the slushy snow she was half sitting in. The city towered before her like an ominous threat, daring her to even acknowledge it presence. It was here that she had come so close to finishing her purpose; it was here that that dream was brutally stolen away from her.

Aeris's own voices and conscious shrieked at her to turn back and run until she forgot about this place, the memories, and even herself. Her hands trembled and she pressed blue fingers to her slightly gaping mouth. She felt tear brimming her eyes, but the weather and her own resolution restrained them from falling. It wasn't as though she didn't know this is where she would eventually end up and this is where the Planet had knowingly led her. But Aeris had been deceiving herself the whole way here, blinding her thoughts to what was inevitably to come. The arrival was unexpected and shook the Cetra's soul with the very fear she had forced herself not to accept when her fate had been sealed not so long ago.

The wind rustled Aeris's matted brown hair. It came in soft breezes and the Planet was accompanying it. The childish glee had left its tone, replaced by the nurturing coos of a bird preparing its chick for first flight.

_"Get up,"_ it whispered, pushing her from behind with stale air. _"Go, go. It awaits…"_

Aeris did not hear the words as she stared blankly at the scene of remorse before her. The wind and wet snow chilled her exposed feet and she curled them below her as she rose from the ground. Her emerald eyes tore themselves from the city's foreboding entrance to the dress and light fur pelt wrapped around her small shoulders. Droplets of snow had melted to water as the city generated its own mysterious heat and breathed it onto the bordering land in which Aeris now stood. A path etched its way into the gaping maw of knotted shells, each one a titan in proportion from days of prehistoric goliaths.

The Planet's voice whistled down the canals of the framing monuments before coming back to Aeris with the next gust. It continued its calls of encouragement, more eager than it should have ever been to be within this area of the world. Aeris tentatively followed the voices with such a shaking breath that her chest grew painful from the tightness and heaving. It wasn't supposed to be like this. She wasn't supposed to be frightened. She was supposed to be firm and resolute with her decision and goals to obtain the Planet's approval and the safety of her friends. What difference could she possibly make if she couldn't even face up to the ground she was walking on? What opposition could she propose if she couldn't even grasp her own voice back? If the Planet was being so careless, surely her feet would be guided with absolute precision and clarity, despite the fact that this had been the exact same situation the previous time.

As Aeris stepped within reach of the rough walls, the city exhaled its lukewarm breath onto her in dire welcoming. She shivered when the heat penetrated her icy flesh and she reveled in momentary relief. Her lungs could breath easier and drank the moist oxygen like a heavenly gift. The air was tinged with minerals and ancient salts, bathing itself within vacant domes once dependent upon the ocean's depths. The city sat beached, manipulated, lived in by the Planet's people, and now forgotten just as was the continent it was abandoned on.

The interior rang with familiarity and it seemed only yesterday that Aeris had so carelessly walked this path before. Luminescent lights radiated from deep corners in the spiraling tunnels formed by the shells themselves, their origin enigmatically out of sight. The light was cast just enough to see the hardening walkway that the Cetra's bare feet strode. Wet soil littered the ground and stuck to her heels. Every so often a creature would scurry or debris would clatter to the stone ground somewhere in the distance. It echoed hauntingly and clear in the hollow corridors.

The Planet had come back finally and was fully in Aeris's possession. The voices turned low and inhuman, pulsing and groaning like an off key cello. It caused the glow of the dead city to fluctuate in desperate revival. The flickering brightness hummed in response to the Planet's calls and Aeris's presence. Their cool greens and blues became stronger with each hesitant step the Cetra took. Whenever she passed a source of light, it glimmered for a matter of seconds before dying out completely and reappearing some feet ahead of her again.

Aeris hesitated and rubbed her palms to her shoulders, though she wasn't cold anymore. Her green eyes shifted and jumped like a rabbit that can only sense danger's presence. She looked behind her and even though knowing the entrance was not far back, there was only thick darkness that left her questioning every decision to come here. The ground before her became brighter the longer she paused, small glowing particles beginning to seep up from the cracks in the ancient tiling. Bits of star-lit dust flew into the air as she turned and continued her way.

The dank hallways became cooler the deeper they drove into the city. Aeris was thankful for the release from such humidity, but the fresh air was cold and as dead as the city itself. She could easily smell the minerals floating throughout the air and it wasn't long before she was able to scent the water too. It wasn't the smell of rainwater and dirt, or the saltiness of the sea, but the oppressing fragrance of something steeper altogether. It was the water of the earth, the water from the deepest, purest pools under the surface of the planet.

Aeris shivered involuntarily, the smell of the holy liquid being too harsh a memory to bear. The glowing lights quivered with the girl, but spread wider as her fear grew. The Planet, too, raised its own voice in reassurance, chiming from outside her body and down the pathways.

The ceiling was high and dripped ancient stones and shells into compiled stalactites that nearly touched the floor. Similarly, stalagmites shot from the ground, beginning to form the familiar, spiral columns that lined several of the rooms Aeris had passed through. As the air became fresher, more and more evidence of water showed throughout the caverns. In one of the larger rooms Aeris had traversed through, five pools were naturally carved into the bone-like walls, a stream constantly moving water from one pond to another then out through a small hole in the wall. Water fell freely from the ceiling and splattered onto the tiling below. The floor was hard and shaped by centuries of this movement of water.

The dirt stole itself away from Aeris's blackened feet and down a thin river in which she now stood. The corridor was large and domed, the walls pushing outward and into small holes and crevices. The Planet sang a new song and Aeris felt unnerved by the voices in it she did not recognize. She found it odd that within thousands of voices and thousands more of tones, she could so easily pick up on the ones she was not usually in the company of. They were soft and sounded almost female, though the Cetra was almost certain they were actually male. They hummed separately and as individuals, making it obvious that they sought Aeris's attention over the others. Even the florescent lights throbbed to their tune, heightening themselves until the room was fully illuminated in dull greens, blues, and some yellows.

Then it was gone.

Aeris was left in the coldness and dark, swallowed by the gaping maw of loneliness she so feared. She mewed slightly out of surprise, but was granted no response. Silence filled the room and Aeris felt panic rise in her throat in the form of bile. She crumpled to the ground and was sick in the blackness. When her chest stopped heaving and the dry coughs calmed, she sat back and stared wide-eyed into the darkness where a single light flickered weakly.

The dripping water sounded too loudly in Aeris's ears and she stumbled over herself in a rush to leave the room and grip onto that single glowing light that teased her from so far away. She tried not to listen as the bareness of her feet slapped against the wet stone and rang all too clearly in the deafening silence.

The Cetra soon enough found herself in yet another room, this one fortunately not as quiet as the other one. A single orb of light danced on the other end of the stretch of stone. The unrecognizable voices chanted distantly by the light, beckoning to her while being all at once utterly soothing. Aeris melted into the room, unmindful of the deep pools she sloshed through to get to the fluttering light.

Her mind began to register itself and reason with the sudden hysteria it just went through. Indeed there was a phobia waiting under the Planet's voices, ever patient until the day she was left alone. It scared her senseless to just imagine being submerged in that smothering silence again. She was taking too easily to these new voices for comfort and that scared her too. They sounded of the Planet, they spoke like the Planet, but she was suspiciously aware of _something_ that separated them from the voices still lost to her. But she had been and still was too edgy to question the offering of solace right now.

Aeris reached the other end of the pool and tried to control her shaking hands by ringing out the bottom of her tattered dress. Her breath hitched several times before she final let some of the tears she had been holding back fall free. Only three fell as she sat herself under the light, her eyes staring distantly into the next doorway. The voices above her came down and rested behind her, whispering untold secrets into her unhearing ears. Aeris knew it was no use trying to understand the exact meaning of the Cetra language, but rather just let it flow through her and let the translation come through internal intellect. These voices, however, found no meaning in her. She absently turned her attention to them and found nothing recognizable in their words at all. It was gibberish, though Aeris found herself denying it if it meant having them continue their calming tone.

The emerald light above Aeris hovered impatiently back and forth. Its glow pulsated and swung closer and closer to the doorway, which was farther and farther from Aeris. She stood lethargically and reluctantly followed the light into the next room, first making sure the mysterious voices trailed along. When she could sense their presence behind her, her step became slightly easier.

That was all shattered when she reached the next room.

Every moment of Aeris's life came tumbling back at her like a brick wall. She stood dumbfounded in the very cavern her body was laid to rest by Cloud's arms, though she had no idea of these events that had taken place posterior to her death. But the foreboding conscious she hardly paid mind to was compensating through her instincts to flee, cry, or just give up now.

The towering walls loomed direly at the peak of spinal columns within the very interior of a prehistoric shell itself. The foundation bore into the stiff soil and moss along with other various growths synthesized the rock of the earth and the smooth, pale shell walls into one. Arched passageways lined the back of the room, smothered light barely leaking in from another area Aeris was too raw at soul to bring herself to recall. In the center of the room the ground dipped and formed a small lake of placid, unmoving water. The glass-like surface glinted off several lighted orbs that fluttered dangerously close to the water, teasing the untainted substance with slight wisps of wind that rippled the liquid's perfection.

The cavern was lit only by the escaping blue phosphorescence from the rooms further down other halls and the few glowing dust particles that eventually dwindled away to nothing. Aeris stood in solid stillness, afraid to break her own trance as well as that of the natural phenomenon before her. But some part of it didn't seem natural. If she had not walked here, if she had not disturbed this sacred place, no lighted path would be needed, no disturbance within the pools would have occurred, and the mysterious voices of unknown Ancients would not have risen from their sleep. Something unnatural, or all too natural, was pulling Aeris to this place, this one spot.

The cavern dimmed drastically when the last of the orbs extinguished itself on the shore of the lake. Only the dull glow from the archways illuminated the large pool and little beyond. However, Aeris felt no fear this time, for the familiar voices of the Planet sang to her from across the way. She could distantly detect the other voices, but they whispered in hushed tones to the rocks or the earth. Whichever it was Aeris knew that her attention was meant to be focused only on the song she could understand.

The Planet called and the Cetra was stung deeply by its sense of desperation and pain. The beckoning stifled her soul and being, tearing her apart for reasons she had yet to fathom. Her eyes brimmed with tears of both confusion and sympathy for a physical being that she could neither touch nor see, but only listen to.

It took Aeris a moment to gather herself and move her feet forward. The archaic stone tiles were broken and merged with soft sand that welcomed the flesh of the Cetra's feet in an unusually warm embrace. It was deep and smooth and proved about as difficult to walk through as the snow Aeris was accustomed to. She let it filter through her toes as she listened intently to the voices, which hovered somewhere at the center of the lake.

Aeris was becoming hesitant as some untouchable memory deep in her mind was being plucked irritably. She paused and glanced behind her, startled to see her footprints so clear in the sand, a florescent glow shimmering weakly in the grains that had been stepped upon.

"_Ahhhh… look. Witness our pain; witness your agony…" _The Planet moaned formidably, suddenly upset at Aeris's cautious falter.

The girl swallowed hard to keep down another forming lump in her throat. She took a last shaking breath before stepping to the edge of the holy lake. Her wide eyes curiously roamed the water's unbroken surface, amazed by its clarity and crystal texture. She felt she could walk across the water as if it were made of glass. Not long ago these waters had been shattered from their peacefulness; her body being the waking ripple.

The back of Aeris's mind screamed for her to run, but she was drawn deeper by the Planet's soothing chants and a glow at the bottom of the lake.

She squinted, leaning forward to see more clearly through the light's fogginess cast into the marine pool. There! A movement in the far depths of the water. Aeris gasped in disbelief. There, moving like a tunneling river through the very heart of this holy city, was the Lifestream.

The brilliant greens flashed in a flowing harmony, moving the stream onward and back in the earth itself. Its direction was backward, flowing against the planet's pull of gravity. Something still required the attention of the stream, so the underground river had torn itself from course by cause of a summoning. Perhaps it was still the effects of Holy. But meteor had hit weeks ago… the earth should be making some effort to arrange and coordinate itself. But something still upset the stream; still summoned its presence.

Aeris watched in mounting worry as the Lifestream throbbed with an aura that pushed the holy water around it away. She felt the Planet moaning somewhere above her, it voices vibrating in her chest. What was the Lifestream doing here? Why was it so close to the surface? Was this the result of meteor? Would it ever go back to normal?

Aeris felt herself questioning the Planet, confusion flooding her demeanor and intentions to find whatever it was she was here to obtain. Was this it? Okay, so something was disturbing the Lifestream. So what was she suppose to do about it? It wasn't like she could solve the problem with a snap of her fingers as she had tried to do so many times before in her real life. She reached out timidly and grazed the water's surface, surprised by its freezing temperature. How odd. All the other pools Aeris had struggled through had been room temperature, if not warm.

"_This land is dying,"_ the Planet spoke mournfully. The Cetra girl could have guessed that herself by judging this place since the last time she had been here.

"What do you want me to do about it?" Aeris breathed into the cool air.

"_There is unbalance in this earth, in this planet. The Lifestream seeks to protect against that which damages the planet, but there is confusion."_ The Planet trailed off and the hushed male voices from before could be felt upon Aeris's neck. She felt the hairs on her nape rise on end.

"_Meteor destroys in more than one way…"_ they groaned simultaneously.

"I don't understand." Aeris sat back on her heels and covered her face with her hands.

"_The Lifestream is confused and you, child, must show it the way. You will find help, but it is you who must expurgate," _the Planet spoke and drowned the other voices. _"Feel the strength left of what is holy in this land."_

Aeris put her hand out into the water again, drawing it back swiftly from the intense cold. What was happening?

_The Lifestream seeks to protect against that which damages the planet, but there is confusion._

Aeris's eyes widened slightly when the pieces began to put themselves together. She looked again to the churning stream traveling hurriedly through the lake. The Lifestream was drawing the heat and energy from the very source it channeled through. The land here was dying because the Lifestream was currently coursing itself through it. It was unknowingly destroying the very earth.

The Lifestream was destroying itself.

"Oh gods," Aeris felt she would be sick again. The Planet surrounded her in its warm presence.

"_You will be not alone. There is hope…"_

Aeris's thoughts automatically turned to Cloud and the others. Perhaps the Planet was right. If she could just find them in enough time, surly they could work together to find some solution. The Cetra began to feel relieved. She would head back to Midgar, determined to find Cloud and solve this dilemma once and for all. She had been looking forward to seeing him again at least once in her second life. Aeris stood to leave.

As if reading her thoughts, the Planet shot her several waves of negative energy and reluctantly stopped her with a stern _"No."_

Aeris felt herself stiffen. If not him then what?

"_You need not travel anymore to find hope. It is here,"_ the Planet said and directed her attention to a far off shore in a shadowed corner of the cavern. Aeris's breath quickened as she noticed a form that she had paid no heed to before. Curiously enough, she approached the crumpled figure without regard of who or what it was. Not five steps away, Aeris finally recognized the form and felt herself about to faint.

There, in a strewn heap of sand and blood, was the source of her own demise and the very threat to the Planet itself. There, unconscious and closer to death than one should ever be, was Jenova's son and the summoner of Meteor. Here, at Aeris's feet, was Sephiroth.

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A/N: So there you have it folks. Hope it was okay! Leave me any comments or suggestions… whatever! Just leave something!


	4. Unspoken Truce

Disclaimer: I don't own FF7 or any of the characters or settings I used from the game!

A/N: Hullo all readers! Glad to be alive and kickin'! I wish I were dead… I have so much homework to finish before school starts (so, so horrible). Instead, I'm here writing this. Ehehe. Yup, that's how it goes.

Thanks to all my reviewers! I love you all! Even the impatient ones! Thank you!

Enjoy.

Wicked Savior

Chapter 4: Unspoken Truce

Aeris's knees buckled, but she managed to stumble back a couple feet before she felt hard into the soft sand. Hiccupping sobs of panic wracked her voice, which shuttered with various mumblings and pleading whimpers. 'What is this? Why is _he_ here?'

Aeris's eyes filled with tears, but she wiped them away hastily to keep a clear view of the comatose man in front of her. He was awkwardly positioned, his right shoulder buried in the sand, face turned the opposite direction, hips twisted carelessly, and legs laying somewhere beneath the surface of the freezing water. He had an impossibly large number of scraps, bruises and cuts, several of which were gaping and appeared to be gorged. The white sand around and on him was stained crimson with his blood, which still seeped out from several of the larger wounds. His hair was washed with the red hue as well, the length of it knotted and sticking to his bloody flesh.

What happened to him? How long has he been here? Is he even alive? Who could've done this to such a powerful man? Cloud? What if Cloud was in the same circumstances? What if Sephiroth had killed him? The flower girl's mind reeled with the abundance of questions in her near state of hysteria. The Planet had done little to calm her flustered form, the voices barely heard above the girl's own conscious.

Aeris blinked rapidly, her throat gurgling in a failed attempt to say something aloud. She cautiously rose to her blistered feet, weary of Sephiroth's unmoving form. Death had never teased her so relentlessly before. Why now? And most importantly, why her? What was she suppose to do about this situation?

Slowly, the voices of the Planet caught up with Aeris's sporadic thoughts. The Cetra listened to their soothing tones, but she reminded herself how deceptive the Planet had been of late. Perhaps there had been a mistake; some sort of misunderstanding. There had to be. The room seemed to dim at the corners, or perhaps Aeris's vision was just faltering as her head swam. She looked again to the monster in the sand. Everything began to fade as she studied him… and her head filled with spite. All she had worked for in life; all she had hoped to accomplish, had been destroyed by this man in the span of a second. She approached him, standing over his stilled body. Her toes dug into the sand by his head, the bloody grains sticking between her toes. His face was hidden behind matted bangs, but she could still imagine every hated curve and his hideous smirk. She caught the slight lift of his torn chest, his life's breaths counting down slowly to their approaching end.

Hope? This was her hope? This creature was her salvation and her strength? Maybe she should just kill him now; let him taste the stale air of her vengeance and contempt.Who cares if he was too close to death's hand to recognize her? Who cares if death should be a welcome relief? Let him look upon her from his fiery prison with jealous eyes. Let him look upon the saved world with resentment.

But Aeris was no murderer and she knew it. Even without the Planet's horrible screams and pleading she wouldn't have killed Sephiroth anyway. The Lifestream built itself off the living beings of the planet, not the sacrifices of revenge. If she was to be the turning point of the Lifestream, it should be better to listen to the Planet's precise instructions, despite the dangerously high probability it would get her killed again. So what, she was already dead. Let her spirit rest in peace, for the Planet's requests would been filled and she would find salvation upon their being pleased.

"What now?" she asked quietly into the crisp air, her eyes still filled with menacing hatred for the man she stared down upon.

"_He must live…"_

"And what of mine do I have to keep him alive?"

"_He is stronger than the mortal men you used to exist beside. He has the blessing of a god and will survive death's invitation if he so wishes."_

'What, are you suggesting I just try to convince him to live?' she asked this time in her head, too embarrassed to say the obvious aloud even though there was nobody else to hear it. "That's ridiculous. If he's no 'mortal' man, then it's going to take more than my pleading to change his mind."

"_He must live…"_

"And what do I care anyway? He was the death of me, I should be the death of him."

"_No."_

"I know… I will not kill him, but I should have no intentions to help him survive either."

"_He must live…"_

"Did you say a 'blessing of a god'? What god?"

"_He MUST live."_

Aeris sighed in defeat. There was simply no reasoning with the Planet these days. She stood quietly, thinking and listening to the echoing sounds of the cavern for quite some time before she moved to kneel beside Sephiroth. Her actions were shaky and unsure; as if she was afraid he'd wake up out of nowhere and kill her on the spot. She pulled her bangs behind her ears and leaned ever so timidly over the man, unconsciously clenching her jaws in fear. 'I can't do this. I can't.' She focused on the constant sound of water dripping into a pool somewhere in the distance. Her breath hitched several times before she paused to regulate the pattern of breathing, her hunched form trembling.

Finally, with dire precision, Aeris reached out a small, pale hand and let it hover inches from Sephiroth's covered face. She was suddenly aware of the male voices coming back to her, touching her hand softly as she held it in perfect stillness. Her state of panic began to rise again, but her mind forced itself to pay attention to the dripping water before she continued any further.

Why was this so hard? The man was nearly dead, it's not like he was going to gobble her up in his current state anyway. Just move him out of the water and go. Aeris nodded her head in agreement to her own reasoning, and then smiled at her foolishness. What a hassle.

Tenderly, still afraid of waking him, Aeris touched her fingertips to his forehead and lazily pulled the bloody bangs away from his face. She caught her breath hastily, nearly all her senses going numb. His ethereal expression had caught her off guard and the hysteria returned full throttle, despite her prior self-determination. She snatched her hand away from him, but stayed in her place hovering above him, her eyes unable to detach themselves.

He appeared at total peace. His eyes were closed, long lashes not even fluttering when the hair was removed. His eyebrows were arched high in an emotion of little pain, if any at all. His lips, though chapped horribly and blood still seeping steadily from one corner, were set in a soft line. If Aeris had not seen his bare chest rising and dropping slightly, she would have easily assumed him dead with such a harmonious expression as well as the severe amount of both running and dry blood.

Aeris let out a long breath. Step one complete. Now how was she supposed to move him? She gently tugged at Sephiroth's left shoulder until he was mostly on his back. Maybe he _would_ prove better awake. Then he could move himself. Aeris almost laughed at the thought of the very awkward and very tense situation both of them would be if Sephiroth were conscious.

The flower girl sat back on her heels and tapped her fingertips to her lips, pondering her next move. She paused and pulled her hand back when she felt something warm and wet hitting her lips. Blood dripped thickly from her fingers. She looked to Sephiroth's shoulder, a frighteningly deep gash running from beside his collarbone all the way through his chest. A sword had done this no doubt. Again, Aeris wondered if it was Cloud who had done it. She immediately regretted thinking of him, for she began to regret the absence of him, no matter how independent she desired herself to be. He would have known exactly what to do in this situation… though that probably meant killing Sephiroth. Aeris glanced down at the man's dying expression and surprisingly felt a pang of guilt in her chest. Who was she to judge him, even if he had killed her? Would Cloud and the others not have killed him if he had not struck first? The situation had been 'kill or be killed'… despite the fact that Aeris proved no real threat to Sephiroth at the time. Her only threat was to his overall plan to use Meteor, which her prayer, had it been completed, would have simply saved all lot of wasted time and wasted lives.

Aeris wiped the blood from her lips with her wrist, watching it smear over her pearl-white skin. She may have no right to judge, but that put her in no circumstances to forgive either. Even mutual terms seemed to be cutting it close to treason against the Planet. Which is exactly the reason Aeris wanted so badly to know why the Planet insist she, the last Cetra, come back from her grave and save the only man that would sacrifice all he knew to destroy all else that existed. The Planet seemed to be as confused as the Lifestream was.

Whatever. The Planet has dragged me this far… I guess I can give it a shot. Death can't be nearly as bad the second time around…

Aeris gathered herself and moved to crouch behind Sephiroth, moving her tiny hands under his shoulders and through his armpits, where she clasped his biceps. She took three long breaths before heaving with all her strength, her feet digging into the sand as she struggled to remove the man's body from the water.

For every five minutes she worked, his form moved about two feet. She assumed his breeches to be waterlogged and she was thankful it was only the lower half that was submerged. About twenty minutes later, she had dragged Sephiroth completely out of the water with a good two feet to spare. She released her sweating hands, falling backward onto the sand, trying to catch her breath. 'Good gods,' she thought with exasperation, 'I never knew people could weigh this much.' She stayed motionless for a moment before standing and patting all the sand from her clothing.

"So will he just heal himself?" Aeris called to the Planet. There was only silence. 'Figures.'

The flower girl kneeled beside Sephiroth again, giving him a scrutinizing, yet almost humorous glare. "You need to lose some weight," she criticized. She sat fully down and rested her chin in her palm, studying him. 'Moron.' She rolled her eyes at her own sense of dignity and her refusal to call Jenova's son anything more vulgar, no matter how much he deserved it. Her attention was brought back to the deeper wounds on his body. If the infection was cleared from some of them, she was sure they must've been down to the bone at least. How could someone survive after an assault like that? And for how long? If Meteor was summoned about eight days ago and Aeris had been brought back about six… he had to have been in this state for a week at least. How had he gotten here then? The Lifestream? Maybe it had carried him from the battle…

'What do I know? Why don't I just wake him up and ask him myself?' Aeris grinned, supposing that her blithe attitude was a result of some sort of denial and she was just waiting for the moment she would awaken. Well, while she was waiting, she had better make use of her time. The wounds on Sephiroth must've reopened in the water, for even a creature not quite mortal couldn't survive a week straight of bleeding. 'So what does that mean?' she mused. 'He welcomes death?'

"_He must live. You must expurgate."_

Aeris jumped at the voice of the Planet, unexpectedly close to her ear. "I know, I know. But it makes no sense nonetheless. Not that any of the questions I need get answered…"

She moved closer to Sephiroth, amazed at her own brazen actions. "Well, if you aren't going to save yourself, I guess I'm going to have to do it for you. I'm not skilled in the arts of healing for show, you know," she mused, happily distracting herself from the dirty and miserable task ahead. She had better make jest of the situation while the man was still far from awakening. In all honesty, she had no idea what to expect when he rose. She didn't want to fathom the thoughts of his anger, confusion, or outright malice. Sephiroth was not a person she knew on a personal level, but she had to expect some of the legends of him were a bit exaggerated. She knew little actual knowledge of him, save what Cloud had explained when she was alive… which proved to be of little use at the moment. He wasn't a person of delectable decisions in Aeris's opinion, as proved by her desperate attempts to stop his mission when she still breathed from her original lungs. The thoughts of those moments; her last moments, filled the Cetra with newborn anger for the silver-haired menace. She growled at her task to 'save' him, but found herself more angered at the Planet's lack of response for the reasons she was to save Sephiroth in the first place. How could he be the 'hope' gifted to her as the explanation to her task and fate as a reincarnation?

Aeris coughed lightly and brought full attention to the first step of finding answers: keeping Sephiroth alive. And from the looks of it… she wasn't completing that task very well. The Cetra delicately placed her hand on the largest wound, the slash from his shoulder to the opposite side of his chest and under his ribcage. She chewed her bottom lip when she pulled at the edges, revealing a mass of torn tissues, infection, and clumps of outside materials, such as gravel and the sand from the shore. The gash made a sickening suction-popping when Aeris pulled the skin farther apart, as if the frothy puss had built a barrier that held the wound together. This was by far one of the worst injuries Aeris had dealt with. She could have easily measured the slit to be two inches deep at some points. "Good thing you're out cold, otherwise this might hurt…"

Aeris hesitantly reached into the cut, pulling out several handfuls of clotted blood, puss, stringy tissues, and other various causes of the infection. When it was semi-cleaned, she made three short runs from the water back to Sephiroth, quickly pouring dripping handfuls of the chilled liquid into the cut. The bleeding had started again rather heavily, so Aeris decided the wound would be cleaned enough to close it. With hast, yet astounding skill and accuracy, Aeris brought her hands together, called upon the Planet's aura, and spilled the warm, green essence that had formed between her palms directly onto the wound. The spell's airy-liquid shifted to fit within the shape of the cut and hissed against the infection, wisps tenderly gripping at the edges of the split skin and pulling them together. When the borders barely touched, the Cetra put her index and middle finger together and pressed them to the corner of the wound. She then called out the chant again and dragged her fingers over the length of the cut, watching the flesh seal and swell slightly in the wake of the green wisps along her fingers. The scar was red and still tender, but the injury was safely healed. Aeris smiled at her own work, having never doubted her abilities in this area of magics. A simple spell like this could be performed from a quite a distance as well, so the close proximity only further guaranteed its success.

"All right," she clapped her hands together, "that wasn't too bad, now was it?" She listened politely, as if he would respond. "Since I hear no complaints, I'll move on…" Aeris found herself rather enjoying the company of another living being, whether that being was her former assassin or not. As long as he stayed out of it… then things should run smoothly.

The Cetra moved to repeat the process with the rest of the wounds along Sephiroth's broken body. The task took her many hours to complete, and that along with the magic draining her, Aeris felt she would collapse when she finished. He wasn't exactly 'good as new' when the cuts had all been sealed, for many could not heal themselves beyond scars, plus there were many former injuries that had not been tended to and had formed distinct markings on his flesh without proper healing.

Aeris stood up, her knees bending painfully from the continuous kneeling. She left Sephiroth and strode down to the water, where she proceeded to quench her thirst and wash most of the blood stains from her hands. She watched the crimson drift away from her fingers, smoothing out over the ripples until they no longer became distinct. What happened to the blood in this holy water? Did it just spread like it does in all water, or does it become purified? What happened to Aeris's blood all those months ago? 'It shouldn't matter anymore.' She grabbed a corner of her dirty dress and ripped a tiny square away from it. The fabric tore easily from the years of wear. She soaked the cloth in the water until it appeared to be as clean as it would ever become.

With one more drink she walked back up to the unconscious man. He still lay with no indications of even being alive, save the breathing. Aeris sat by him and pulled the rest of his still-bloodied hair out of his face. There were no apparent cuts on that could be seen, just a few ugly bruises here and there and some blood splatters. Aeris took the damp cloth and mildly began dabbing away at the blood, studying his face while she worked. Besides his reputation and obvious quarry, Sephiroth was not in any sense unattractive. His silver eyebrows were delicately arched above slightly slanted eyes, of which Aeris was much happier with when closed. His lips were softly curved under a straight nose. His chin was sharp and sloped into a strong jaw attached to high cheekbones. "Talk about hell's angel," Aeris mumbled, not at all shocked by her acknowledge of his beauty. Plenty of his 'legendary' stories were accompanied by the lengthy explanation of his perfection and natural seduction, mostly told by the women of the cities who were so 'lucky' to be in his company for a night. Most of this, of course, had been before the Meteor incident and the prior attacks. The same stories had continued, but the more popular among the public had turned to his slaughters rather than his lovemaking. 'Why am I thinking about this?' Aeris grumbled several curses. 'It's not making me feel any safer.'

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Sephiroth had not woken as Aeris had suspected after hours from her tending to him. She had almost fallen asleep several times, too afraid to lay back and relax while there was a good chance of Sephiroth reviving. Instead she had waited hours some distance from him, thinking about the Lifestream, all the while keeping a careful eye on him.

Finally, too exhausted to care if the man woke and killed her, Aeris made ready to find sleep. She closed her eyes lazily, falling into slumber almost instantly. However, she was awakened almost as immediately. A chill ran through her body and the flower girl rubbed her hands frivolously against her arms, doing little to fend off the chill. 'Great,' she thought, 'get the chance to relax and I start to go cold…' She looked around for something to drape over her, but there was nothing. If Sephiroth had been clothed in more than just his breeches, she would have considered stealing something, but she wasn't even close to resolving to take his only article of clothing. Finally, Aeris came to her last option: make another fire. She had only slight fears of her ability now that she had already performed the spell once; it was the significantly low amount of energy left in her body that scared her.

One more couldn't hurt.

Aeris shifted closer to Sephiroth, feeling that perhaps he should need the heat as well. As long as the flame burned between them and in Sephiroth's direct path to her, Aeris would feel slightly better. Calling the Planet, which was unusually quick to answer, Aeris asked for the flame and welcomed the warmth that tunneled through her being. She grinned when the orb of fire glowed patiently between her palms, awaiting its command. This wasn't so hard.

Then she set the flame down.

Exhaustion immediately fell atop Aeris like a stack of bricks. She was almost wiped unconscious as the flame belched angrily from lack of control. The Cetra fell back onto the sand and struggled to turn onto her side. She glowered at the flame, demanding; desiring it to calm itself, though she was rather enjoying the heat it emanated. The fire cracked again then slowly lowered itself to a safer size, snapping as if fed off of nothing. Aeries, drained now more than ever, watched in satisfaction. But before she could close her eyes, she caught the brilliance of two green eyes staring at her from in between the flickering of flames. Fear swallowed Aeris just as fast as darkness did.

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A/N: Thank you readers! I hope this chapter wasn't weird or too fast or anything… you know, all the things an author worries about. Give me your reviews please! XD


	5. So it begins

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the FFVII characters or settings:)

A/N: I know, I know! This took me a LIFETIME to update! I've been so busy with other project and activities and school and sports that I've simply had NO time to focus on more than one story. I'm really trying to finish up one at a time; the first being Lives in Choosing. BUT, seeing as how I've gotten so many requests to keep this going, I think I can try to pull off two at the same time. Ugh…

Seriously, I'm going to try and develop a worthy story for this and push harder to please all you perverted Aeris/Seph minds. I mean, this story went from 3 reviews for the first chapter to thirty-something in the fourth. It's getting there!

Once again, I'm totally, truly sorry for taking so long to update! And just a side note, this story has absolutely NOTHING to do with Advent Children. I came up with the original idea for this story before I even knew about AC, so I had no way to incorporate that story with this one. So, if you've already seen it, or are planning to while in the midst of reading Wicked Savior, disregard it!

One last tidbit, I realized through a review that this story had been marked "complete." It's FAR from it, so don't distress why it's so confusing and marked 'Mature' without good reason. I changed the setting to "In progress" and it will hopefully not change unknowingly on me again.

Thank you fans and happy reading!

Chapter 5: So it begins…

It was the deepest, most relieving sleep Aeris had experienced in ages. No dreams tainted her rest; no stress of worries made themselves know. Just to let everything go, even for just hours, was worth the price of tomorrow's pain. She felt tempted to never wake and just stay in this slumbering bliss for eternity. Death could not even taste so sweet.

Aeris let out a soft sigh and shifted on the uncomfortable sand she was forced to sleep on. She couldn't quite remember why she was here, but it was necessary. The soft splashing of small waterfalls in the distance helped her foggy establish a broader setting and Aeris was suddenly reminded of the caverns she had to travel through to reach the holy lake. Something in the back of her thoughts panicked excitedly, but Aeris passed it off, too tired to worry. The Planet was softly humming and she trusted that if the Planet was relaxed, she was safe enough to be as well. Turning over, she fell into a deeper sleep.

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Aeris's conscious woke her again not long after falling back into a peaceful, dreamless slumber. There was a scolding voice ringing in her ears, fearing that she had fallen asleep in the first place. Something was wrong and the Planet had no judgment over the situation. The mist of sleep evaporated quickly and Aeris blinked her eyes open, surveying her surroundings clearly for the first time since waking. Her fire conjuration was burning low and steadily. The sand beneath her was rough and scratching her skin as the pelt she had tried to sleep on was discarded somewhere behind her. The dripping of ancient pools in the distance chimed rhythmically through the high-domed ceilings. There was a disturbance however - a sloshing was coming from the edge of the lake where the usually still waters would be silent.

Aeris sat up tiredly onto her elbows to gaze over the flames and gasped. Sephiroth. Everything rushed back to Aeris and hit her like a solid wall; everything from the discovery of him, to the healing, to the glowing jade eyes that watched her through the orange, angry flames before she fainted.

Aeris didn't know what to do. She was suddenly hypersensitive of her body, trying to establish her composure while feeling over herself for wounds or evidence of a violation. The actions seemed irrational, for if he wanted to kill her in her sleep, it would have been effortless, but she wasn't exactly in a rational situation.

Sephiroth was back in the lake up to about his waist, his back to her, apparently bathing. He was fiddling with his hair, taking care to separate the knots slowly. Most of the blood had been removed and many of his wounds had healed more while Aeris slept.

It was hard to believe the man had just been so close to death. His tall frame was imposing even from the distance he stood. He held an aura of carelessness, yet carefully chained power. It was the first time Aeris had seen him not terrorizing or causing chaos. The assumed image in her head of a maniac killer faltered momentarily.

Aeris wondered even more why he was still around. How long had she been out? It must've been hours at least and Sephiroth appeared to not have made any move to leave. Was he waiting for her wake? For his moment to end her existence again, but assuring that she knew it? Did he want information from her? Would he torture her… rape her? Aeris swallowed hard and panic flooded her veins. If she ran for it now she might be able to escape without his notice. But where would she go? She had spent days on a relentless journey just to get here and revive him. 'Gods, I need a backbone,' she chided herself, still staring at the back of Sephiroth with fear.

The Planet was still reclining in the back of her mind, unaffected by her worry. It did not evoke any emotions or cautions at all. It seemed totally content with the fact that Aeris was only a few yards away from her killer, and still potential killer a second time around. She was stuck in a debate with herself as to whether to stand up and face him or cower and die. She was on the verge digging herself a hole in the sand when Sephiroth unexpectedly looked over his shoulder at her. Had he known she was watching him? Aeris felt the heat of anger and embarrassment rise in her face.

Sephiroth's expression released no hint of his thoughts. His eyes focused on her impassively for a moment, as if looking through her, then he turned back around. It was now or never.

Aeris stood shakily to her feet, brushing loose sand from her dress, and then stubbornly putting her hands to her hips. "I-uh…" What was she going to say? Aeris mentally kicked herself for not thinking this through. "I-I hope you know this wasn't for you."

Sephiroth made no reply or even sign that he had even heard. Aeris was trembling with fright, but she set her jaw firmly in place. How dare he just ignore her after what she had just done for him! "I could've left you to die, you know. In fact, I wanted that more than anything!" She was trying her hardest to sound strong and unafraid. The sound of her own quivery voice didn't confirm that.

Sephiroth still made no motion, but instead kept kneading the edge of his bloody hair in the water. This was ridiculous! Aeris started to fume as hot rage boiled under her skin. She knew he didn't want to be here with her either and assumed it must be awkward as well, but this was being childish! The least he could do was turn around and face her. "I'm talking to you, you lunatic! I saved your life! You should be somewhat thankful at least," she took a determined step forward, but leapt back when Sephiroth fully turned around.

"I didn't ask to be saved," he said in a chilled, low voice. His bright eyes pierced into Aeris's painfully, accusingly. He took long strides out of the cold water and stopped only a foot in front of Aeris. He was much taller than she recalled, her head barely coming to the top of his wide chest. "Nor would I have needed your assistance, Cetra girl."

Aeris felt her knees turn to liquid as he towered above her, his eyes full of harsh humor. She opened her mouth to say she didn't know what, but her voice thankfully failed and saved her the humiliation. Under normal circumstances, if there was such a thing, Sephiroth might have smirked triumphantly, but now he just frowned and strode past her, water droplets splashing onto Aeris's flushed skin. She shivered involuntarily and watched him walk up to the fire, pause, then continued walking. Where was he going? Was he just going to leave her here?

Aeris jumped to her senses and fumbled her way up the shore to follow Sephiroth. "Where do you think you're going?" she demanded bravely. She practically had to run to keep up with the length of his strides. "You can't just leave!" Couldn't he? It was really quite foolish to believe herself capable of stopping him. She called to the Planet, trying to jolt it into action and realization of the situation. 'What do I do?' she begged of it. Sephiroth had already reached the entrance of the first cave returning to the outside of the village.

'Follow…' the Planet replied coolly.

'Follow him? How long?' Aeris must have sounded desperate and uncertain.

'As long as needed. He knows the way.'

'You can't expect me to just tag along without him getting irritated, can you?' The Planet quietly retreated, leaving Aeris to one simple command: follow Sephiroth or lose purpose. "Great," she mumbled disdainfully, turning back to grab her pelt before hurrying to catch up with the silver-haired man.

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Aeris followed a good fifteen feet behind Sephiroth through most of the cave. The florescent glow still seeped from cracks in the walls and floor, gently floating and quivering weightlessly about. The Cetra girl trained her eyes on the ground, avoiding looking at Sephiroth, who caused her blood to boil and her heart to freeze in terror all at once. She could distantly detect the warm male voices of the Planet humming contently. Their origins were still a mystery to her, for she could not recall hearing them the last time she was here. They were growing steadily louder the closer to the entrance Aeris moved.

Her attention was brought up when she heard Sephiroth's steps silence. He had paused, his head cocked almost curiously to a side, as if listening to the rocks. Could he hear the voices? Could he understand them? Aeris was tempted to ask, but refrained. She was still having a hard time believing herself to be calmly following The Great Sephiroth. The idea itself was hardly plausible, let alone a reality.

"Do you miss death so, Cetra?"

"What?" Aeris wasn't sure he was actually talking to her, his voice so low. He half-turned and gave her another penetrating glare.

"If you wish death by my hands again, you simply had to ask," he told her without a hint of emotion.

Aeris felt an icy sliver shoot up her spine. Perhaps her luck would run out quicker than she thought. "No," she squeaked, "I most certainly don't want that again." A sudden pain ran instantaneously through her ghost wound Sephiroth's masamune had caused, which brought her to realize that he did not have his legendary weapon. Not that that meant he was incapable of causing her harm. Far from it.

"I have nothing for you, Cetra. The Planet is saved." His voice was hard, a hint of sarcasm and fiery hate tethered within it.

"No, it isn't," Aeris watched, astonished, as her voice emanated itself. "The Planet is still dying beyond Meteor and I have to save it."

"Good luck," Sephiroth grunted and it was no question how much he really hoped she would fail. He turned to continue walking.

Either he didn't believe Aeris or he simply did not care anymore, Sephiroth still showed no emotion to her statement. Everything he had been working for and everything he had just lost was presenting itself opportune again. Aeris hadn't meant to quite share that with him, but he thankfully didn't jump to take direct action. Abnormally aloof or not, there was something on Sephiroth's mind. Not that she was about to step into that territory, Aeris simply found it hard to believe he would not even inquire of her _how_ the Planet was dying. That information was hers alone for now, but if he was to be her "hope," she had to push some buttons.

Aeris walked briskly to keep pace and called to him firmly, "And you are going to help me." Nervous tension rose again when Sephiroth paused, his shoulders going slightly rigid.

"Oh? And was I sane when I offered myself?"

"No…"

Sephiroth rounded on Aeris, still a good distance from her, but dangerously bristling either way. "Cetra, I couldn't care if your planet was cloning itself into a colony of molten cores. If the Planet lives, is killed, commits suicide, it is no concern of myself."

Aeris was now feeling confused. "I… I think your views on this were much different no so long ago. Are you feeling alright?" She almost wanted to laugh at her words.

"Perhaps you should ask yourself the same," he turned and started walking again, but his deep voice still echoed back to her clearly. "Because in case you haven't noticed, it is _you_ who is following the crazed maniac asking for his assistance."

"I am not asking you for anything. You will do it," she called, hoping she had not stepped too far over. He seemed to be unfazed by anything else so far. "Do you even have an idea where you're going?"

"Do you?" His voice was hard and irritated.

"That's why I asked you."

"How long do you mean to follow me, Cetra?"

Although it was not a vulgar or painful thing to call her, Aeris was beginning to dislike the sound of the sacred word coming from his mouth so disrespectfully. "My name is Aeris. And I mean to follow you as far as I am to go." 'Nice, Aeris, that sounded intelligent.'

"You will not survive in the cold past the first day. The night if you are lucky."

"I did all the way here," she said defiantly.

"Surely not barefoot?" The question was swimming in dark jest. As much as Aeris did not want to admit it, he had a point. She had forgotten all about her discarded boots, which were still abandoned somewhere out in the endless fields of snow. Shell Village had been warm enough for her to survive without them. Her feet indeed would not last a day, not even hours, in the biting cold. She could try and create some makeshift coverings with her pelt, but that would take a good half hour to an hour, giving Sephiroth plenty of time to trudge away and out of her sight. She sighed in defeat and looked ahead, suddenly realizing Sephiroth wasn't even wearing a top.

"And you're going to survive without any sort of shirt or cloak?" she retorted, clutching her fur pelt to her reflexively, imagining being stranded in the ice and snow clad only in her flesh.

Sephiroth ignored her, walking on. He eventually led them to the city's yawning mouth, expanding the scenery into the endless snow. It had changed little since Aeris had run across it the other day.

Aeris had been tearing at the edge of the pelt, desperately trying to get off pieces large enough to envelope her feet without totally distorting the blanket. She had just succeeded in getting off the second piece when Sephiroth hesitated a moment to survey the landscape. He seemed to be orienting himself and finding his cardinal directions. Aeris took this time to off two strips from the bottom of her dress, letting her wrap her feet and tie the fur securely around her ankles. She had just finished when Sephiroth stepped off determinably into the snow, not a moment wasted to see if she was following of not.

They had been walking only ten minutes when Aeris felt the gnawing cold of melted snow soaking through the fur around her feet. She didn't know how much longer they would last before they would be totally useless. She turned, still viewing the forgotten city in the distance and turning again to watch The Great Sephiroth push on through the thick snow, unaffected. The Planet had left her to herself with only one impending request. She would follow it without question, even to her death. Unfortunately, the journey alone, wherever she might be led to, looked like a struggle beyond anything she had yet been forced to endure. This was no AVALANCHE assignment, with Cloud and the others to watch over her. This was a demented murderer, only further vexed by her presence.

Death would be a far greater fate.

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A/N: Hey everyone! Thanks for reading! I promise to update fast… really… I do! Anyway, please leave me a review, comment, correction, maybe even question. I love hearing from you all! Love ya! tsukino


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